If you’re like me, you go through some real seasonal depression. Over the years, I have found some ways to cope and I am getting much better at it. So I’d like to share my methods with you. Together we can not only get through this, but enjoy winter this year and for years to come!

Yea even you!

Just hear me out!

Take the time to read my 10 fail proof ways to get through the holiday and winter season (Keep in mind, you do have to actually try it for this to work. If you’re willing to be happy, please read on. I’ve got your back) and your life will be drastically improved:

10) When it comes to gift giving: Remember this… It’s only Money. Don’t have enough to give, those who care about you will care about the thoughtfulness you put forth, not how much cash you spent. They will realize money doesn’t matter. It’s friendship and family that people should care about, not a new iPhone 7. It’s love that makes the world go round.

9) While trees are dying and birds are migrating, pay attention to the living things that you do have around. Pay attention to animal and nature totems. Look for signs! For instance, I have seen lots of blue birds this week. To the Native American Indians, bluebirds signified happiness and new beginnings! Also, some say that if you see birds frequently, it is (in superstition terms of course) a sign that loved ones are looking down on you from the heavens. Flowers die, birds fly, but love lasts forever. Yes! I know I mentioned love in #10, but love truly can get us through this holiday season. It takes something that positive to make it through! You will persevere!

8) This gift giving season, weather you receive gifts or not, be thankful for what you do have. Don’t think you have much? The fact that you are reading my post lets me know that you at least have access to a phone or a computer. I was recently on my honeymoon in a third world country where they didn’t have wifi or phone reception any where! This year we have had natural disasters, tortured Lakota Indians and protestors, zika virus outbreaks, uproars in politics and with religious views… And we have survived. We are still here and strong! If that doesn’t make you thankful what will?!

7) Number 7.. This is a really important one. I learned this last year due to my amazing friends who forced me out of my comfort zone (guilt is a strong emotion and guilting me worked well). Make sure that you do your very best not to shell up and hide away in your house. It’s so easy to become reclusive when it’s cold outside and it gets dark early. Don’t do it! This plays a large factor in depression. If you don’t have many friends, hang out with the ones that you do have, or go out and join groups or hobbies so that you can make some. Go see your family. Go to concerts… Whatever you have to do! Just don’t stay at home alone for prolonged periods of time. Weather you do it on purpose or not, it can really play a toll on your psyche. And your happiness is precious! You deserve to be jolly this winter season!

6) When Christmas is over, take a deep breath and make time for a nap! Your body and mind will thank you.

5) Find creative and fun ways to stay warm. Try making new winter cocktails or baking new dishes. Don’t have all the ingredients, get creative! For instance; just yesterday, I didn’t have panko bread crumbs for my dinner I was making. So I took some flavored salad crutons that I had (store bought) and mixed them with flower to throw in my food processor. My food processor decided it didn’t work anymore. So I threw it all in a gallon size zip lock bag and stomped on it crushing them. I made the best dinner I have ever made and it was fun!

4) Turn off the television and take up some new hobbies or get better at the hobbies you are already into. Netflix binging (which I am guilty of myself) is often rewarding. But it’s only rewarding for a short period of time. If you get good at a hobby rather than watching someone on the tv who is good at their hobby, you will feel rewarded for life.

3) Lie to yourself. Yea I said it! I’m not saying to be a fake person. I’m saying to fake it till you make it! Now you may have just read that statement once or twice trying to figure out how in the heck it makes sense. Lie to yourself and fake it till you make it but don’t be fake? Hmmm…. What I mean is that you manifest your own destiny. If you want to be something, be it. It may be uncomfortable at first. So you have to convince yourself. I may not feel happy all the time, but I pretend sometimes whne I’m not. I don’t go overboard and tell people that I have no stress, I’m honest, but HI do make sure to have a positive attitude and outlook because fear gets us nowhere in this world! If you act happy you end up surrounded by happy people and circumstances, thus you end up being more happy! The same thing goes for anything you are trying to manifest. Get it?

2) Take care of your health. I’m not telling you not to splurge on your diet on occasion or rest when needed. I’m not telling you you have to become a body builder and a spokes person for Dr. Oz. But I am telling you this, take care of yourself. It’s hard when it’s cold out to have the energy to take proper vitamins, to be active, to not gorge on alchohol and sweets… But when you are getting out of hand on something, try and slow it down and treat yourself right. Because it is so easy to get sick during the winter (I get sick every winter!) I don’t want that for you all!

And finally! Numero uno! Read my blog! If you need someone to talk to, reach out to me. I’m here for you. Thank you for being a friend.

I hope you liked what you read! Stay warm happy healthy and stress free! Stay calm. We are all in this winter together.

My husband and I are young. Well we are not kids, but we are just at the opportune age where everyone is constantly asking us if we plan on having children. Keep in mind, we just got married and people don’t realize how often (almost daily) we are asked this. If I’m seen holding someone else’s child I get comments like “That looks so natural on you!” Like I need one for an accessory or something. It’s tough. The answer to the question is, I don’t know. If it were the 40’s or 50’s, absolutely yes. But the world today is tough and the thought of raising a child in it (especially without having a wealthy as all get out income) scares the bejeesus out of us! One minute, we are ogling over a cute kid. And the next, we hear a kid throwing a temper tantrum in the middle of a grocery store that needs spanked and we say “Nope! We are not having kids!” Sure at times I feel, my kid would never act up. But the truth is, you can’t pre determine how your child’s temperament will be when it’s born! It just happens and you have to mold them into the right type of person. That’s scary. The world sucks right now! There is too much corruption. But at the same time, it’s hard to say no to the idea. I always thought I’d have kids. Now, I just don’t know. After years of trying to decide yes or no… I still am in limbo on the issue. I may never be able to decide until it’s too late or it happens on accident (which is highly unlikely when on birth control). What’s a girl to do? What are we to do about this? We just.. don’t know.

Apparently if you are under 40 and haven’t had children, you get asked this a lot. Thanks for pointing out that I’m at a child bearing age people! We both know that the biological clock is ticking! There is a wealth of information out there that tells us this. We both had sex ed when we were younger and we both paid attention. We both want to make the right decision. But if we are not sure yet, I don’t think that we should be rushing into it.

I love kids. And it’s the absolute cutest thing ever watching him around children. He is great with them. We are both kids at heart. But we are also young enough with few enough ties to possibly be able to travel more. We want to see the world, go to concerts, be in concerts, and go on journeys! It’s hard enough to afford that and make time for it as it is. Let alone if we add a child.

But what if we wait until it’s too late? That’s the question.

We hate where we live and are only here because our family members rely on us so much. But is that fair? Would it be selfish to move away? If we have a child, we may never get to leave this place. We already feel stuck here as it is. If we have a kid, my family is the type that will guilt us to our death about leaving and taking their grandbabies etc away from them. That’s just how they are. They expect us to want to stay as our civic duty I guess.

I just want to have a baby, skip the whole awkward raising and growing up part, and then have grandchildren to tell stories of my travels to! Perhaps we should get a monkey (an adopted and rescued one, I’m not ok with trading endangered animals and taking them from their habitat) now so we don’t have to put it through college and then just adopt an 18 year old when we are elderly. Yep. we are lost on this issue and don’t know what to do.

So I’ll ask this again, are we in folly for waiting or are we doing the right thing?

Have you ever been criticized for showing your emotions (be them bad or good)? Did you feel ashamed for letting them rise to the surface? If not, then kudos! You keep on shining you crazy diamond! But if so…..

I have some simple advice for you honey! And I hope that it can be of help to you and you are able to flourish having read it!

It’s not a bad thing to wear your heart on your sleeves! And others will thank you when they need a shoulder to cry on.

Read this article and I can almost guarantee change your mind really fast!

Here’s why it is not a bad thing to be emotional and wear your emotions proudly:

Emotions are like spilled liquids on the fabric of life (No worries, I’m not about to hit you with a corny Hane’s of Fruit of the Loom Add!). The point is that it’s up to you weather you remove the stains before they set in or turn them into a rockin tie dye. You know the old saying, “Never cry over spilled milk?” Well the same goes for wine!

2) You choose your own happiness. In fact, the closer to the surface these liquid and fragile emotions are, the easier they are to tend too. So never give up hope. And never harness the bad energy because you are afraid to let anyone know. You happiness is not Haynes or Fruit of the Loom. Your happiness is Calvin Cline or Elizabeth Taylor! Your happiness is worth everything!

3) The deeper rooted spills are the hardest to remove. So choose your timing quickly. And don’t be afraid to have an open heart. Having an open heart is just an added benefit to doing your own spill removal. It’s like using a fabric softener sheet vs. not using one! Sure you can take your laundry to a laundry mat (or psychologist) if you need to but please realize, they can’t fix you. You have to want to clean up yourself!

So here’s my advice for achieving a vibrant, happy and fulfilled life:

Keep your sad feelings on the surface briefly and remove them as quickly as you can. And hold on to your good moments for as long as possible!

3) Never air your dirty laundry to the public until you have cleaned it. Other wise you are only going to stain other people’s happiness.

4) Never wash away the good memories.

5) If you must keep the bad memories and stains, turn them into something positive. Put it towards your art and your life. Use them to make you a better person rather than a weaker one. You’ve just used too much bleach! We all do this sometimes! It’s ok. This is what you can use to become more creative and make the world a more wonderful place.

You see, good memories and emotions are like water. They are pure and clean in theirselves. Keep on over washing them by reliving the past and comparing the future to what could have been, and the beautiful colors will soon start to fade.

So go out there and be cleansed! Cleanse others but do not drown them! We all change at our own pace and we all are on our own wash cycles!

Ps. If you need someone to talk to and are feeling alone, you are not alone. I will be your shoulder. Send me a comment or a message and I am here for you. I can’t wash away your troubles. But I’m definitely down to help you learn to do so on your own. No more troubles! Ok?! In with the water to wash out the spilled wine.

I hereby vow to no longer give any fucks. Not even one. I deserve better. And if you give a fuck, you should stop doing so as well. And here’s why.

You deserve better too. The world is our fucking home. Do you want people spreading their fucks all over your fucking house with no permission? Well I sure don’t! That’s how fucking disease spreads. So don’t fuck fucking strangers with all your fucks you are giving all over our humble abode please! I am stopping, so if you want to pay if forward and stop giving a fuck as well, that would be great. Take the pledge with me!

I am so excited to offer this challenge to you. The world is our fucking oyster. Let’s fucking own it!

I repeat, take the pledge with me!!!! “I ___(insert name________, hereby vow to stop giving so many fucks.”

So… please excuse my fucking language. But after this post, no more fucks will ever be given. So I’m getting all my fucks out while I can for fucks sake! Lets fucking live! And just to be square on this, I am not sorry if this post offends anyone. Because, dang it, I have a fucking point to make.

As you could probably tell from my last damn post, I have been under an immense amount of stress… So much damn stress, that it has broken me to a wonderful point in my life where I have realized that I somehow forgot to look at the big fucking picture and that needs to change.

I was stressed about my fucking wedding. But the day is not about making everyone else fucking happy or planning the perfect fucking event to impress relatives and friends. It’s about my fiance and I. And it’s about the fucking fact that I am marrying my soul mate. My fucking soul mate! And while I still have lots to do, I am no longer going to let stress get in the way. Period. Fuck it.

I am tired of the fucking panic attacks over spilled milk, and I am tired of fucking caring so much. Why do I care? What’s the fucking point?

Hahaha I hope this post doesn’t get fucking deleted. Don’t be fucking but hurt. Just don’t give a fuck and take this post as what it is meant to be. Humor!

Let’s spread love not fucks. You don’t have to mind fuck everyone!

And I am guilty of over sharing my fucks lately. I have been giving several fucks about everything that I possibly fucking can! But no more! It is never too late for change.

In fact, unintentionally, I believe I’ve given so many fucks out to people like candy (no not in a sexual way) I have been fucking making other people just as stressed as I have been. I have been fucking stressed over the wedding planning, my mother in the hospital, my job, my finances, my car, my house, my animals…anything I could come up with in my head to continue my fucking fuck giving parade. It’s time to slow down and fucking chill the fuck out.

Tabula la rosé… Blank slate bitches!!!!

And I don’t want to be an energy vampire (Someone who pushes their problems on others to the point where they drain them of their positive energy)! There’s enough pain in the world as it is. I’m not here on earth to fucking add to it. I do not want to be that person! So it’s time to check my self before I wreck myself. And if you give several fucks like I’ve been doing and have no desire to stop being like that. Get over your fucking self and stop being an an energy vampire yourself. Take a lesson from this article that you are reading. You are not helping yourself or others by wallowing in your own pitty fucking party. Say fuck it and throw your fucks to the fucking wind. I have realized this. So fuck it. I no longer will give a fuck. I repeat, I Copper Sparkles, Will no longer give a fuck.

Rid the world of fucks given, make the world a better fucking place.

In the reality of existence, to the earth, to the stars, to the sky, to the moons, to the sun, to the cosmos, and the galixies, you are only a tiny spec. You are not that important. How stressed you are will never leave a legacy. It’s the things in life like who you were as a person, and the relationships you had that will matter.. These small things you are stressing over, take a look at them. Take a look at your size, then take a look at the size of the universe, and you will realize that your problems weren’t that big after all.

This is you and your fucks that you have been giving for fuck sake –> .

Now I don’t mean to say that I won’t ever worry again. I’m a fucking human and a female at that! Aunt Flow will always come once a month to kick me in the serotonin receptor and remind me that Eve was a metaphorical greedy ass bitch. I fucking worry.

But I will no longer give a fuck about my emotions. I will recognize them as what they are, emotions. and I have the choice whether or not I let them effect me. Good bye expectations (set on myself by me or others….goodbye fears, and good riddance to trying to make other people happy while causing myself pain or living in the past! Fuck that.

Fucks are like weeds to your brain. Say this mantra with me “I will no longer give a fuck” and kill those fucking weeds that are clouding your judgement and preventing that beautiful garden that is happiness from growing and nourishing the world! Instead of growing your fuck garden, grow a garden of flowers and love. And instead of populating the world with weeds, populate the world with flowers. With love.

Stop giving a fucks like a mental prostitution ring is taking place in your damn brain! Snap out of it! Life is too short.

So there you have it.

I Copper Ann Sparkles hereby vow to no longer give so many fucks.

Signed: Copper Sparkles Date: 8.3.2016

#FuckIt #Fuckitol

Ps. Need a muse? Let me tell you the story of the bird (If you have already heard this story, then good for you but I just heard it yesterday so I want to share).

So there’s this bird in this tree, just minding it’s fucking business. Just fucking chirping away… “chirp chirp chirp chirp!!!”

And one guy sits down on the bench sitting underneath the tree for shade. The bird continues to chirp.

“Chirp Chirp Chirp chirp!”

The guy gets super fucking annoyed. And he says “shut up you fucking annoying bird!” He throws a rock at it. He yells at it…rolls his eyes…. But it doesn’t matter, the bird continues to chirp. So the guy gets annoyed and he leaves.

The bird doesn’t care though. The bird says to his other bird friend. “I’m a bird. I’m just doing what I do. I’m singing.”

Along comes another guy. He sits on the bench, he opens his book up and begins to read. And here the noise comes a gain. The bird starts it’s thing.

“Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp!

But this guy looks up at the bird, smiles, and says “What a beautiful noise this bird is making.” He is grateful for the beautiful noises of the bird and is happy to hear the bird’s fucking singing! He just simply ignores the bird.

But the bird still doesn’t fucking care. Do you think the bird feels any different because it is now being accepted by a human? No it just continues what it’s doing.

“Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp.”

Again says the bird to it’s bird friend,

“I’m a bird. I’m just doing what I do, I’m singing.”

Do what you do weather it’s chirping, singing, writing, drawing, comedy, sign language, fucking cursing insessantly, watching fart videos, underwater fucking basket weaving, I don’t fucking care. Just do what you do and live your life fearlessly.

Ok. As promised, I am going to tell you about my dream I had the other night. But honestly, you might as well scroll down to the bottom paragraph because last night’s was even worse! Two nightmares in a row! It sucks to even talk about. What many don’t know is that I do dream interpretation. So if I go into too much detail, my apologies. I’ll try not to.

The first dream, was my fiancé cheating on me. Now the reason I stated the dream was so absurd is because it was with one of our best friends. She not only doesn’t live around here. But she is in a serious relationship and my fiancé and her have never flirted what so ever with each other. We are all friends and she would never do that to me! I think I’m just so stressed out from my job that my dreams are going hay wire. I also started my period yesterday so boom. Serotonin (The chemical in your brain that produces your happy feelings) dropped! I more than anything felt guilty about having that dream about my friend and him because they are both good people and I didn’t like to see them in a light that was so opposite to their character in real life. Usually when you see a friend in a dream who is betraying you, this means that you are having some self doubt or insecurities. I am only human. We all go through this. I am in fear that my workplace is going to be shutting down and that I will be stuck in this town….just lots of challenges right now. So I get why I had the dream. I’ll persevere though. It’s good to recognize your feelings and acknowledge them good and bad. Dreams are very helpful for this.

The second and worst dream was the one I had last night. I dreamt that I was in my house (in reality though I was in my grandparents old home who have passed away. In fact, the whole inside of the house burned down years ago sadly). I was walking through the kitchen and there on the table lied a deadly bug. Don’t laugh, but the name of the bug was called a Corrs. I mean really dream, you named the bug after a brand name of beer?! I was so scared because I knew in my dream that this bug was more deadly than the brown recluse. If it stung you, you were screwed. I ran after it with the nearest box I could find to trap it. This thing was fast! But I didn’t want it to sneak up on me! I was trying to trap it and I guess it got mad at me for chasing it because it jumped up in my hair and started heading quickly to my scalp. I was swatting at it trying to get it out of my hair but trying not to have it sting my hand. Bye the time I grabbed a thick towel to grab it by instead of my hands, it stung me right in the back of the scalp. It hardened up and this when I pulled it out, a hard stinger the size of a lobotomy needle came out. I immediately grabbed a phone and called 9-1-1 and lied down to die. It was a fail. The Coors killed me and it wasn’t even from liver damage! I don’t even hardly ever drink that brand. But if so, I would be even more freaked out. Anyway, I woke up in a panic and feeling the exact spot on the back of my hand. This one is going to take me a really long time to analyze.

When I wake up in the morning, pensive. I get lost in thought about my dreams. I am a very lucid dreamer. Sometimes my dreams leave me waking up questioning life. I start to get ready, pensive. What am I going to eat for breakfast, what’s the nutritional value of this, will I make it through the day? Can I remain positive? I’m going to need more coffee! Pensive.

When I get to work, pensive. I wonder why I’ve seen three turtles this morning? What is the symbolism of the turtle? Slow and steady wins the race? Well it is Thursday. And it has been a long week. Just keep swimming…I can make it to the weekend. What will this weekend hold?! Probably a few more days of me being pensive.

I go home from work, you guessed it, pensive. I have so much to do. But I worked all day. What should I watch on Netflix? Will I ever get up and do some household chores? I wonder when my headache will go away. I’ve had headaches for a long time. How weird, I wonder why. I wonder where I will be in ten years. Probably still pensive.

And then after thinking and remaining so busy all day, when it comes to night time…pensive?

No I crash!

And then it starts all over again.

When I wake up in the morning, pensive. I first get lost in thought about my dreams as I’ve almost slept through my alarm this morning. I heard the alarm in my dream and thought I was up and getting ready trying to turn off the noise in real life! But I was asleep. I start to get ready, pensive. What am I going to eat for breakfast, what’s the nutritional value of this, will I make it through the day? Can I remain positive? I’m going to need more coffee! Pensive.

When I get to work, pensive. I wonder why I’ve seen four bluebirds this morning? Who am I? Snow White?! Some just call this pale. What is the symbolism of the bluebird? Happiness is on it’s way? Well it is Friday! And it has been a long week. Just keep flying…I can make it to 6pm when I clock out and enjoy my freedom. What will this weekend hold?! I’m sure yet again, it will be a few more days of me being pensive.

I go home from work, you guessed it, pensive. I have so much to do. But I worked all day. My guitar and I have a date. What all will I actually do with all this freedom? I have waited all week and have so much fun to be had! I can sleep in! What songs do I want to work on this evening before the gig. I can’t wait until the big wedding day but I have so much planning to do. How will I decorate? I don’t even have my dress yet! I wonder where we will be in ten years. I have a whole bag of wine in my refrigerator!

And then after thinking and remaining so busy all day, when it comes to night time…pensive?